Early bronchoscopy intervention reduces post-thrombectomy aspiration pneumonia and improves outcomes in stroke patients: A retrospective cohort study

Aspiration pneumonia represents a significant complication following mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke, with incidence rates of 12-30%. This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of integrating early risk identification with bronchoscopic intervention for preventing and managing post-thrombectomy aspiration pneumonia. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Cangzhou Central Hospital from January 2021 to December 2023, enrolling 150 patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy. Patients were allocated to conventional treatment (n=71) or bronchoscopic intervention (n=79) groups. The bronchoscopy group received flexible bronchoscopic procedures (median 36 hours post-thrombectomy) including bronchoalveolar lavage and targeted therapy, in addition to standard care. Primary outcome was aspiration pneumonia incidence at day 14. Secondary outcomes included clinical effectiveness parameters, inflammatory biomarkers, and functional outcomes. The bronchoscopy group demonstrated significantly lower aspiration pneumonia incidence (10.1% vs 29.6%, P=0.005), superior treatment response rate (88.0% vs 65.0%, P